COPE at COP28

The COPE picture books I’ve been illustrating over the last few years have become one of the most important projects in my life - they are going out all over the world, and helping to save lives. Climate Change is such an everpresent issue these days and the books are giving kids the tools with which to prepare for the natural hazards that they will inevitably face.

Our connection with the WMO has given us a huge leap in our reach, and in collaboration with them, we are holding several events at the COP28 conference being held in Dubai right now.

The first event was at the 18th UN Climate Change Conference of Youth (COY18) held just before COP, which brings together passionate young minds dedicated to addressing climate change and its challenges.

COPE showcased its Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) books and hosted a panel discussion as a side event during the conference. This explored the crucial role of children in DRR, emphasizing the importance of preparedness and early warning action. Our fearless representative, Lina, is seen here with her co-presenters, and the full team on the ground.

In a world where climate-induced hazards are rising, it is crucial to equip our youngest generation with the tools they need to understand and navigate the challenges that lie ahead. 

Lina hosted another session, this time at COP28, where she explored innovative ideas and strategies to enhance disaster resilience with the audience. It was an opportunity to share, learn, and contribute to shaping a more resilient future.

COPE’s third appearance at COPE is at the WMO side event at COP28 - Communicating around early warnings: from disinformation to acceptance

We are excited to invite you to a COP28 session at the WMO Pavilion. COPE Creator and Author, Martha Keswick will be a panellist and share insights on how our books effectively communicate Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) and early warnings. Discover children's unique role as powerful channels for driving this vital information through communities. The discussions will cover topics like understanding values in climate decisions, leveraging social media for early warnings, and addressing disinformation challenges.

Be part of this vital conversation aimed at developing better communication strategies for early warnings in the media, on social platforms, and in society.

Session: Communicating around early warnings: from disinformation to acceptance
Date: December 9th, 2023
Time: 10:15 am -11:15 am
Location: WMO Pavilion 

You can stream the event remotely here.

I’m incredibly proud of these books, and hope they will in some small way, help us to deal with the environmental changes the world is going through right now.

gifting season

I’ve just sent out a newsletter to my subscribers listing all the places you can get products I’ve made and designed - here’s a mini version - please do subscribe if you’d like to be updated on all my doings!

A gift subscription to Creativebug would be a lovely gift - I have 2 classes: an introduction to illustration, and keeping a sketchbook daily practice. The sketchbook class is an inspirational class for anyone who just wants to learn how to be relaxed about starting and keeping a sketchbook. Everyone, basically!

There’s a special offer on gift subscriptions from Nov 27th (50% off), and this weekend there’s a deal for signing up yourself. As it’s all online, this can be gifted from anywhere in the world.

The extra special w+p+b hand-made baren pin is the perfect gift for mokuhanga fans. There are only a few still available - for more information, please DM our w+p+b instagram.

I had a very small run of holiday cards printed a few years ago, and still have some available. They’re sold in packs of 5 for US$20 plus P&P. Please email me if you’re interested. US only due to crazy international postage, sorry.

If you’d like some original artwork, the lovely SFGallery in San Francisco has several of my prints available, including these from their Delicious show, as well as some dim sum prints.

My own Hong Kong ceramics will always be top of my gifting list - these sparkling festive mugs with gold and silver highlights, and the set of red coasters, are my number one choice for this season. You can buy them direct from faux, or visit my website retail page for a list of outlets that stock them.

note: Faux does ship internationally too.

These iphone cases I designed with the brand topologie are super fun and affordable - I love them! They’re currently available in Japan, HK and Taiwan, in all sorts of colourways.

Hopefully you’ll have fun doing your gift shopping!

sketching at the San Francisco Botanical Gardens

This week I made an impromptu visit to the San Francisco Botanical Gardens with my friend Maybelle, to do some sketching.

I realised I haven’t done any outdoor sketching for a while, so it was good to get my hands dirty. I worked in pencil to draw this view of reflections in the pond, looking for texture and shape.

It was lovely to wander around and be surrounded by so much green!

We had a picnic lunch and I tried out a colour pencil sketch of the layers of trees.

The early evenings mean early sunsets, and on that day, it was particularly lovely.

wood + paper + box exhibition

I just got back from Kansas, where I was visiting our wood + paper + box exhibition with my friends and collaborators Yoonmi Nam and Katie Baldwin.

It was amazing to see the large banner showing our work on the side of the museum. I really felt proud of what we’ve achieved with this project!

Our four boxes have been displayed beautifully - each in its own specially made wooden cabinet.

The works are shown in a changing display, in a variety of ways, just as we had always intended them to be…

The museum also produced a brochure, explaining the work that had been specially commissioned. Our fourth box Mise-en-Scene, made in a limited edition, is the Museum’s Gift Print for 2023.

The first cabinet in the exhibition shows this box and all the elements within it.

We gave a presentation with the curator of the show Aileen Wang, in which we discussed how we met and started our projects, and what the future may hold. We invited everyone to come and try out the handling copy of the Mise-en-Scene box.

I loved that Aileen used some of my zoom sketches for our profiles in the show! Here’s the handling copy on display for all visitors to the exhibition to try out for themselves. They can upload their photos of the arrangements they make to instagram with the hashtag #woodpaperbox and become part of our ongoing artwork.

When I think about it, we started wood + paper + box as a way to keep in touch and keep our friendship going, and it has grown to become a really important part of my life. I treasure the connections and experiences we’ve shared as we’ve continued to develop these projects together.

From one experimental box of prints, we’ve now become an established collective, and I’m already looking forward to working on our next box together.

Denver

I went to Denver last week to visit my friend, the wonderful artist Hadley Hooper. It was extremely cold, but lovely and autumnal and I took so much joy from the crunchy leaves and beautiful golden tones in the trees.

It snowed overnight and the day I left was magical but even more chilly! I’ve never seen cactus with snow before…

As usual, an all too brief visit, but it was amazing to visit Hadley’s studio and talk non-stop about illustration. I just don’t get to do that enough!

Mariko Jesse x topologie

I’m super excited that I’ve designed some phone cases with Topologie, a hipster brand in Asia.

There are 3 designs, and you can choose from a selection of case colours to go with each of them. You can also add a variety of straps, and I love that!

There’s a simple design with my maneki neko mokuhanga print, which adds some great texture to the shiny case, and then 2 patterned designs with cats and dimsum that are super cute!

They are currently available in the HK, Japan and Taiwan, with the rest of the world coming soon!

w+p+b in Petaluma

I recently popped in to see the book arts and printmaking exhibition The Voice in the Hand at Petaluma Arts Centre in downtown Petaluma, California. The exhibition has been curated by Macy Chadwick who runs In Cahoots Residency and our wood + paper + box project Alabama > California > Kansas is on display.

It’s always lovely to see how a curator shows our work, and with everything carefully layed out on a plinth, you can walk 360 degrees round it, and get a real feeling of the whole box and contents as a sculptural piece.

My mokuhanga printed handkerchief piece a charm for California was prominantly shown - I made this at the height of the droughts here, as a sort of prayer for rain - alongside my intaglio printed Meyer Lemon Seeds packet.

The exhibition continues until 4 November, open on fridays and saturdays only. Hope you can make it!

California mini-break part II - Cazadero

After our stint by the sea, we drove inland a bit to the Russian River and stayed in a little cabin by a creek. It was peaceful and surprisingly green.

There was a large picture window overlooking the creek and the ducks, and we ate breakfast every morning outside under the trees.

We walked in Armstrong Redwoods State Park which was quiet, lush, and the most wilderness-y Redwood park we’ve been to. We watched musk deer grazing peacefully in amongst the trees.

I can never get tired of being in the California woods, and one day if I’m not here I’m going to miss them dreadfully. I’m trying to soak it all in now, so I’ll never forget.

California mini-break part I - Sea Ranch

This week we took a little holiday up the coast. We didn’t want to fly, but needed a bit of nature, so we had a sort of staycation and went to the Sea Ranch.

The house we stayed in was beautiful, all worn wood and incredible views, at the edge of the sea. The Sea Ranch style is for the houses to blend with the environment…

The weather changed minute by minute, from totally foggy and couldn’t even see the ground outside, to brilliant sunshine and blue skies. I love this - it felt so Northern Californian.

We walked along the cliffs and down to Pebble Beach, and had it all to ourselves (plus some pelicans). Grey, foggy, chilly and oh so beautiful.

So many sublime sea horizons in just a few days.

sketching in the dark...

We went to see a friend’s band Resonant Frequencies play in San Francisco last week - and I just about managed to do some sketching in the dark. I literally couldn’t see the paper!

The gig was at a cosy venue called Cafe du Nord, and it felt good to be out in the city having fun, reliving those fabulous 90’s songs…

London

I can’t believe I’ve been back in California for almost 2 weeks already. Where does the time go? Here are a few pictures from my last few days in the UK. We visited central London one day, and gloried in the the classic London atmosphere of black cabs and red buses…

We had a family lunch at the Hind’s Head in Bray, and the triple cooked chips were scrumptious, and the lemonade was delightful.

My parents’ lovely garden, that had been so full of summer flowers, suddenly took on an Autumn feeling, as I said goodbye for a while.

I’ll be back soon…

Gascony

After Lourdes, we drove up to Gascony (the Gers part), and explored the area to the West of Toulouse. We visited several pretty towns, such as Lectoure and Fources. It was so hot, every day, up to 36C!

We went to a lovely brocante, ate in some cafes, and were very relaxed…

I sketched when I could, and did several of the sublime stone cottage we were staying in:

The house was so perfect, and I would 100% recommend staying here. The listing on airbnb is here. It was an old bakery, and had lovely antique furniture, but also lots of convenient modern features like ceiling fans. The private pool was truly wonderful, and I swam every day. I collected ripe figs from the garden in the morning, and we ate breakfast outside under the shade of a canopy. Heavenly.

As usual, I had to work while I was away, so I set up a desk on the corner of the dining table, by the window. I could smell the flowers outside and hear the birds, and then didn’t mind the working on holiday so much.

The rolling hills in this part of France were so delightful. Everywhere we drove, there were views in all directions. I especially liked the hills we could see from our own windows.

The South of France in the late summer was as sublime as any other time of the year that we’ve been. I’m looking forward to our next trip already.

Lourdes

I’ve just got back from a quick trip to France. Our first stop was Lourdes, in the Hautes-Pyrenees. While I’m not a religious person, I was interested to see a site of such significance to so many.

There is something special in the air of the region, and the weather was glorious, and it was interesting to wander around and even sit in the huge underground church.

I absolutely loved the view from our hotel room - it looked over a green park and onto the opposite hillside covered in trees and houses. I watched the light changing at different times during the day, and made a quick sketch of the picturebook buildings.

I was also super happy to be able to watch the candlelight procession in the evening, and listen to the lovely chanting.

The area around our hotel was very touristy and full of souvenir shops, but I still enjoyed browsing. We bought a little glass bottle and collected some holy water from the grotto to take home. (It didn’t cure my cold though).

Lourdes is a tiny town, with a big presence. I hope all the people visiting for a miracle, got hope from it.

Wales

Last week we went on a little roadtrip to the West of the UK, driving down to the River Severn, crossing the bridge and then going up the beautiful Wye Valley. We stopped at a little riverside pub for lunch, and then on to Wales border…

The weather alternated between grey and glorious, but always the land was lush and rolling and green.

We stayed in a delightful old stone cottage and I woke early every morning and saw wild bunnies eating the fallen apples.

One afternoon we drove into the Brecon Beacons National Park…

and stopped at Gospel Pass to admire the view. It’s truly astounding, and we were so lucky with the weather!

The UK has such green and wonderful countryside. I always forget and then am wonderfully, pleasantly surprised each time I explore it.

fox and croc

I’ve been working at a makeshift desk set up in my parents’ guestroom that has doors that open up into the garden. One afternoon, I was surprised to see a young fox walking past and being inquisitive.

I managed to grab my camera and film a little of it, and realised there were actually two of them! They must live somewhere at the back of the garden.

I was even more surprised when I heard a noise a few mintues later and saw one of the foxes stroll past with a croc in its mouth! I know the shoes were just inside the back door, so the fox actually came inside to get it! I wonder why. I shouted in surprise and he dropped it, but in the days since, we’ve found it in the middle of the garden with teeth marks…

Belgium

I’m in Belgium at the moment, working in my friend’s studio, as I have deadlines deadlines deadlines and wanted to focus. I take a walk for a break every day, and explore the local area, and love the nearby Bois de la Cambre.

On the public holiday this week I had a wonderful meal and absolutely the most delicious ile flottante I’ve ever tasted…

this weekend I went to stay in the country with my friend and her family, and we relaxed in the fresh air of the Ardennes. I woke with the sun and did a tiny watercolour of the early morning sunlight on the dewy grass.

We tramped through the woods, picked wild raspberries (so sweet!) and looked for mushrooms (there were a few, but it’s a bit too early for them). I loved the moss and clover combos in the shade of the trees.

There was a grand old tree in the garden, and I loved watching it change in the various weather conditions and times of day. There was something special about this tree.

I tried out a pencil sketch as we sat by the stream and chatted. The kids caught crayfish and we ate barbequed sausages in baguettes. Sometimes a person just needs to relax in order to focus again. Hope you had a great weekend too.

tiny sketch

When I visited the V & A recently, I did a tiny watercolour sketch of my view as I ate lunch in the superlative cafe. It was a gloriously sunny day and the bits of the museum I could see in the courtyard through the tall windows was like a puzzle.

I always carry this mini childrens paint set with me for emergencies, and managed to create all the colours I wanted from it. I started with just paint, and then added some fine black lines for the detail.

* Reminder - I have an easy sketchbook class that you can take on Creativebug if you’d like an intro to carrying your sketchbook round with you everywhere like me :)

Lantau T-shirt

This year I was commissioned to create an illustration for Mui Wo Laundry Co. on Lantau Island, Hong Kong: a new and very contemporary laundromat. They used the design on a T-shirt that is available to purchase exclusively from them, and only in HK.

I drew lots of images specifically of things in Mui Wo, the area nearest to the ferry pier on Lantau Island, like the post box, the banyan trees, the local temple and the pagoda by the local waterfall. I was super happy about this project because I could show my love for the place where I lived for almost 7 years when I was in HK.

I hand lettered the name of the laundry for the front of the T-shirt, to give it a relaxed and fun feel…

I love these professional photos for the promotion of the T-shirts! They were all taken around Mui Wo.

The T-shirt was also used as the official team outfit for the Mui Wo Boys Liondance troupe. I featured a retro liondance lion in the illustration, so it was a perfect fit.

A big thank you to Alvin Yeung of ymk design who art directed this project.

birthday

This year I was like the Queen and had two birthdays. I like having a birthday month really! My first birthday was a picnic on Box Hill. I often walked there when I was younger, and love it especially because it was an important location in Jane Austen’s Emma. On the day, the weather forecast was abysmal, but I crossed my fingers and insisted it would be ok…

It was truly a miracle! At 2pm precisely, the rain stopped, we put down a large tarpaulin, and everyone came out from under the trees and we had a wonderful picnic overlooking the incredible view. I am eternally grateful that we could enjoy a wonderful British Summer picnic.

On my actual birthday, I spent some time by myself at the V & A museum in London, and drew happily in the ceramics department. I could spend hours there. I also treated myself to a fantastic meal at Ottolenghi in Chelsea. Heavenly!

I received these beautiful pieces of jewellery for my birthday, made from my own HK ceramics. I have quite a few pieces of ceramics that broke in transit, that I can’t bear to throw away, and my husband took some and commissioned these pieces! I got lovely peonies and had a simple fish and chip dinner with my parents in the garden.

I love birthdays!

Hampshire

I went with my mum and dad for a little holiday in Hampshire this week, to stay in a cottage in the countryside. The English Summer is the best time of the year, and the world is suddenly bursting with greenery and the days are long and bright.

We booked the Keeper’s Cottage, which sat on a totally quiet and peaceful hill corner of a large estate. We couldn’t see or hear anyone else anywhere nearby! The silence was incredible - just birds and bees and far away some cows and horses.

We visited several National Trust properties during the mornings - the first was Hinton Ampner - a beautiful old manor house with incredible manicured lawns, and topiary…

I absolutely loved wandering in the gardens: so many secret paths and hidden vistas. I could’ve stayed for days.

The countryside in and around Hampshire was delightful - although the hedges were often high along the country roads! The sunny/rainy/grey days meant incredible clouds and shadows everywhere…

We also visited Uppark House, which was even more perfect of a building - like a dollhouse! The Regency house and interiors were like a Jane Austen fantasy. The gardens were smaller than Hinton, but the views across the South Downs were even more expansive. I love that meadow gardens are making a comeback.

Every afternoon we went home to our little cottage and sat on the lawn and had a nap. The sun set behind the trees and cast a glorious light over everything. It’s so close to London, and yet feels like a different world.